CM: NPR just like census carried out every 10 years

In another issue that can emerge as a flashpoint between the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies in the state, chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday said

In another issue that can emerge as a flashpoint between the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies in the state, chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday said the National Population Register (NPR) exercise is a “census” and that no one should fear implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA). Thackeray, however, reiterated that he would not allow implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC). The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress, two constituents of the MVA, have opposed the NPR, along with the NRC and the CAA.

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Addressing a press conference in Sindhudurg district on Tuesday, Thackeray said, “The CAA and NRC are different issues. The NPR is the third issue. Nobody should fear the CAA. The NRC hasn’t come and it will not come. The Centre hasn’t spoken about the NRC. If the NRC is implemented, it will create problems not only for Muslims, but also for Hindus, Dalits, tribal and others. The NPR is a census and I will go through the columns given in the form. I don’t think there will be any problem with it. The census is carried out every 10 years.”

The backing for the CAA could create a rift between the Shiv Sena, NCP, and Congress, which is running a coalition government in Maharashtra headed by Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray. The Shiv Sena had supported the CAA in the Lok Sabha, but walked out during the voting in the Rajya Sabha in December 2019.

The NCP feels that when there is a unique identification via Aadhaar cards, where details and information of people can be stored, why the need for another exercise. NCP chief Sharad Pawar, who was addressing reporters in Mumbai soon after Thackeray ended his briefing, said Thackeray had different views on the CAA, but the NCP had voted against it in Parliament, too.

“We have opposed it (CAA, NRC, and NPR) earlier too. We have voted against it (CAA) in Parliament. Here, as a government, we have not taken any decision yet. On certain issues, there is a consensus between the allies, while on some issues the Congress-NCP has one stand… When there is a coalition government, different parties have different opinions. It does not mean that it would have an impact on the government. We have decided that we can work on the common minimum programme (CMP),” Pawar said.

In an interview to Sena mouthpiece Saamana earlier this month, Thackeray had said the NRC had not been announced on national level yet and that there was no need for Shaheen Bagh-like protests in Maharashtra.